Clause 16
Local Democracy, Economic Developmentand Construction Bill [Lords]
6:30 pm
Stewart Jackson (Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government; Peterborough, Conservative)
My concern about the clause is that we are beginning to blur the lines of responsibility between elected councillors, who must regularly be held responsible to their electorates, and paid professionals, who serve in a civil service role at local level.
Any of us who has attended public meetings over contentious issues such as school closures, noise from industrial units or telecoms masts will know that members of the public can become upset and angry, and that they can direct some of that energy towards officers. I feel profoundly uncomfortable about absolving councillors of the responsibility of having a coherent policy and answering to their constituents. Under the Bill, it would almost be as though they could pass the buck to officers. The measure is the thin end of the wedge.
This is not a partisan issue. When the Bill was debated in the other place, Baroness Hamwee made similar points, but Baroness Andrews, the Minister, did not sufficiently assuage her genuine concerns and those of others. I invite the Minister to touch on those concerns in her remarks.